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Evelina 3: "First Kill" by Tim Pearsall

In the third installment of this dark and supernatural series, readers gain even more glimpses of Evelina's exotic and adventurous past as Domina Mortis. As the story begins, Evelina is blissfully unaware of the death of Cairo's father as she continues to establish herself as a prostitute.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once established, Evelina thinks of her daughter and decides to find out how Cairo is faring with her father in Malta. Readers can attribute Evelina's timely reflection about her daughter to a mother's intuition or to her impetuous and impulsive nature, but it does not take long for Evelina to discover that Cairo's father is dead and that Cairo is missing. Rather than relying on a trusted retainer, Evelina makes the trip to Malta to try to retrace Cairo's steps in order to discover her whereabouts.

Without her father or mother to guide her, Cairo finds herself in a predicament; not only is she helpless and vulnerable against the angry spirits in Malta, but she also discovers that she must fend for herself to meet her basic survival needs while hiding the fact that she doesn't have any guardians nearby. It also becomes apparent that some of Evelina's abilities have been inherited by Cairo; can Evelina find Cairo before Cairo discovers these abilities, or will Cairo be left to fend for herself while fighting to keep the spirits that are haunting her from destroying her?

Readers will also discover that the hunt for Evelina has resumed; not by Susan or Richard, but by an old admirer that wishes to be by her side, Tsuba. While Evelina looks for Cairo, Tsuba follows in her footsteps in the hopes of finding his long lost love. Will he be able to catch up to her and convince her to allow him in her life as a trusted servant, or will following her lead him to his doom?

While Evelina is searching for Cairo with Tsuba in her wake, Susan is still living in the karaoke bar in Africa where Boss Bellini's soul has made itself at home in Susan's body and is using it as a plaything that can be brutally used and discarded once he gets his revenge. In the meantime, Richard is working desperately trying to make his way back to Susan with the help of two unlikely friends; a priest and a gangster. Can Richard make it back to Susan in time to help her beat Boss Bellini, or will Susan have to face Bellini on her own in a war for her body and soul?

As the series progresses, I find that I am more impressed with Pearsall's ability to spin a rich, dark, exotic, and enchanting supernatural story. While Evelina 3: "First Kill" provides readers with plenty of adventurous twists and turns, it leaves many questions unanswered; leaving readers looking forward to the next installment of this fascinating, delightfully twisted, and fantastic series.